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Singer of Souls #1
Singer of Souls
Leaving his life of petty crime and drug abuse behind, young Douglas flees from Minneapolis to Scotland, to his stern but fair-minded Grandma McLaren, who will take him in if he can support himself. Fortunately, few cities are friendlier than Edinburgh to a guitarist with a talent for spontaneous rhyme, and soon Douglas is making a living as the busker who can write a song about you on the spot.
But Edinburgh has its dangers for the unwary... and when Douglas falls prey to the drugs proffered by a mysteriously alluring young woman, suddenly he can see, in all their beauty and terrifying cruelty, the fey folk who invisibly share Edinburgh's ancient streets. Worse, they can see him, and they're determined to draw him into their own internecine wars - wars that are fought to the death.
But Edinburgh has its dangers for the unwary... and when Douglas falls prey to the drugs proffered by a mysteriously alluring young woman, suddenly he can see, in all their beauty and terrifying cruelty, the fey folk who invisibly share Edinburgh's ancient streets. Worse, they can see him, and they're determined to draw him into their own internecine wars - wars that are fought to the death.
237 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
4 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Adam Stemple
62 books44 followersAdam Stemple is an award-winning author, poet, and musician.
Like most authors, his life experience is broad and odd. He spent twenty years on the road with a variety of bands playing for crowds of between 2 and 20,000 people. He started, ran, and sold a poker training site with poker pro, Chris "Fox" Wallace. He worked in a warehouse. He picked corn. He traded options and demoed houses. He drove pizzas for nine months in 1986, which for twenty-seven years was the longest he'd ever been employed. He drank too much and has now been sober for over fifteen years. He published his first book at the age of sixteen, "The Lullaby Songbook," which he arranged the music for. His mother is a famous children's book author. His children are artistic. His wife is a better person than him in nearly all regards.
Like most authors, his life experience is broad and odd. He spent twenty years on the road with a variety of bands playing for crowds of between 2 and 20,000 people. He started, ran, and sold a poker training site with poker pro, Chris "Fox" Wallace. He worked in a warehouse. He picked corn. He traded options and demoed houses. He drove pizzas for nine months in 1986, which for twenty-seven years was the longest he'd ever been employed. He drank too much and has now been sober for over fifteen years. He published his first book at the age of sixteen, "The Lullaby Songbook," which he arranged the music for. His mother is a famous children's book author. His children are artistic. His wife is a better person than him in nearly all regards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
December 19, 2015
Posted at Shelf Inflicted
Singer of Souls is a very dark fantasy about a young musician and recovering heroin addict who leaves Minneapolis to start a new life with his grandmother in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Douglas draws in the crowds by using his guitar and voice to compose personalized songs about passers-by. While living with his grandmother and making a decent living, he manages to stay clean until he meets an unusual woman who presents him with a white powder that steers him off the path to recovery.
Instead of achieving the desired high, Douglas' life takes an unpredictable turn when the powder gives him the ability to see Edinburgh's invisible fey inhabitants.
I gobbled up this short, fast-paced, magical and very dark fantasy in two sittings. I loved the characters, the setting and the ability of the music to enchant and transform its listeners. The faeries and other magical creatures are not beautiful or enchanting. This is a dark and gritty urban fantasy with a horrifying ending that makes me want to drop everything and grab the sequel.
Singer of Souls is a very dark fantasy about a young musician and recovering heroin addict who leaves Minneapolis to start a new life with his grandmother in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Douglas draws in the crowds by using his guitar and voice to compose personalized songs about passers-by. While living with his grandmother and making a decent living, he manages to stay clean until he meets an unusual woman who presents him with a white powder that steers him off the path to recovery.
Instead of achieving the desired high, Douglas' life takes an unpredictable turn when the powder gives him the ability to see Edinburgh's invisible fey inhabitants.
I gobbled up this short, fast-paced, magical and very dark fantasy in two sittings. I loved the characters, the setting and the ability of the music to enchant and transform its listeners. The faeries and other magical creatures are not beautiful or enchanting. This is a dark and gritty urban fantasy with a horrifying ending that makes me want to drop everything and grab the sequel.
December 1, 2015
This book was on the way to getting a 5 star rating in the way it grabbed me and the way the story advanced. The young narrator, a junkie, or exjunkie (nonusing junkie?) who is within seconds of using again decides that he doesn't want to be "readdicted". Not having any place to stay much less live he decides to take his mother's mother (grandma) up on her invitation to "visit her" in Scotland. Well, he'd saved $700 as a "street musician" with a good "hook". This turned out to be enough to get him to Scotland, but not to Grandma's...to get there he had to hitchhike. This turns out unusually well to however as when he gets a ride it takes him all the way.
The story of Douglas is absorbing and as I've said, well told. I got very involved (sucked in) and finished the book basically in 2 sittings. There was only really one reason that I dropped my rating from 4 stars and it's also the reason for the spoiler warning, so if you don't want to know any more don't read any further.....
Wow I didn't realize how much of a spoiler I'd left here. I was so disappointed when i read this book i wanted to warn readers I guess. The book starts so well and then FAILS so BIG.
I can't recommend this book. I got the second...still disappointed. I really can't put into words how badly disappointed I was here. This book "was" almost exceptional and I was enthralled by the story and storytelling. The end (which takes place in a very short set of passages) just turned the whole thing around. It was almost like some deus ex machina ending tacked on to what had been a great tale. I was exceedingly disappointed. The book simply crashed and burned.
Sad...very, very sad as at first I was really impressed with the book. I just don't know what happened.
The story of Douglas is absorbing and as I've said, well told. I got very involved (sucked in) and finished the book basically in 2 sittings. There was only really one reason that I dropped my rating from 4 stars and it's also the reason for the spoiler warning, so if you don't want to know any more don't read any further.....
Wow I didn't realize how much of a spoiler I'd left here. I was so disappointed when i read this book i wanted to warn readers I guess. The book starts so well and then FAILS so BIG.
I can't recommend this book. I got the second...still disappointed. I really can't put into words how badly disappointed I was here. This book "was" almost exceptional and I was enthralled by the story and storytelling. The end (which takes place in a very short set of passages) just turned the whole thing around. It was almost like some deus ex machina ending tacked on to what had been a great tale. I was exceedingly disappointed. The book simply crashed and burned.
Sad...very, very sad as at first I was really impressed with the book. I just don't know what happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2007
Most of this book was a good read, but the ending was lame, confusing, and unrealistic. Everything that made the character interesting evaporated in an overly ambitious conversion.
March 24, 2020
I enjoyed this book, until the end......
This is the story of Douglas who was once a junkie, an exceptional guitar player, and busker.
Douglas realizes, once off heroin, that he can no longer be around his old group of friends and heads to Edinburgh, Scotland to live with his Grandma Lauren.
Things are going great until he signs up to busk at the annual event "The Fringe" where he meets a woman who tempts him with a vial full of powder. His resolves fails him and Douglas ends up shooting up. He awakes the next morning and heads off to The Fringe for another full day of busking.
And is shocked to find that humans aren't the only attendees at the event. For you see Douglas can now see all sorts of goblins, Faeries, and Elves; and things go from bad to worse for Douglas.
This is a fun read and a remarkable first novel by Adam Stemple, until as I said, the end.
I personally thought the end was a bit contrived and it seemed he didn't really know how to end this book. However, if you like a book with a fresh idea, one that I have not read in any other book, then may I suggest you read Singer of Souls. It is very readable and a whole lot of fun.
This is the story of Douglas who was once a junkie, an exceptional guitar player, and busker.
Douglas realizes, once off heroin, that he can no longer be around his old group of friends and heads to Edinburgh, Scotland to live with his Grandma Lauren.
Things are going great until he signs up to busk at the annual event "The Fringe" where he meets a woman who tempts him with a vial full of powder. His resolves fails him and Douglas ends up shooting up. He awakes the next morning and heads off to The Fringe for another full day of busking.
And is shocked to find that humans aren't the only attendees at the event. For you see Douglas can now see all sorts of goblins, Faeries, and Elves; and things go from bad to worse for Douglas.
This is a fun read and a remarkable first novel by Adam Stemple, until as I said, the end.
I personally thought the end was a bit contrived and it seemed he didn't really know how to end this book. However, if you like a book with a fresh idea, one that I have not read in any other book, then may I suggest you read Singer of Souls. It is very readable and a whole lot of fun.
March 30, 2009
"Singer of Souls" is a wonderful little fantasy novel, especially taking into account that this is the author's first adult novel (he collaborated with his mother, author Jane Yolen, on children's music books). The story follows Douglas, a Minneapolis street musician who is addicted to heroin. Trying to get clean, he decides to go to Scotland (where his grandmother lives) to try and make a fresh start. He makes a living there as a street performer. His street act involves improvising lyrics about passers-by, creating a song about them on the fly. When performing in Edinburgh, one of the fey folk approaches him, and so Douglas discovers he has special powers.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel. It's well-written, quirky, fast-moving, never boring. At 240 pages, it's short but satisfying. Before reading it, I got a strong Steven Brust vibe from the book, based on the short plot summary --- and oddly enough, I just discovered that the author was actually the guitar player in Cats Laughing, a band with Steven Brust. How weird!
Anyway, I strongly recommend this one. Word of warning: the ending is very controversial. Reading some reviews, it seems like some people loved the book, and some people loved it up until the last 20 pages or so, and hated it afterwards. As far as I'm concerned, the ending is justified and makes absolute perfect sense, based on what happened to the protagonist earlier. One reviewer on Amazon summarized it perfectly: "There are two things you should know about this novel. 1. It's a faery tale. 2. It's not a Disney faery tale."
I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel. It's well-written, quirky, fast-moving, never boring. At 240 pages, it's short but satisfying. Before reading it, I got a strong Steven Brust vibe from the book, based on the short plot summary --- and oddly enough, I just discovered that the author was actually the guitar player in Cats Laughing, a band with Steven Brust. How weird!
Anyway, I strongly recommend this one. Word of warning: the ending is very controversial. Reading some reviews, it seems like some people loved the book, and some people loved it up until the last 20 pages or so, and hated it afterwards. As far as I'm concerned, the ending is justified and makes absolute perfect sense, based on what happened to the protagonist earlier. One reviewer on Amazon summarized it perfectly: "There are two things you should know about this novel. 1. It's a faery tale. 2. It's not a Disney faery tale."
August 28, 2022
Singer of Souls was a fast and fun read up until its final chapters. Its protagonist (flawed but sympathetic), setting (magical Edinburgh), and theme (music magic), together with compelling first person narration and slightly dark tone were all working together to make this one of the best urban fantasies that I had discovered in a great while. As I read, I was thinking ahead to a four star review.
That's when the book's end game struck me. With jarring abruptness, the novel turned from darkish to full blown horror show, the protagonist became unrecognizable, and in lieu of resolving the various chords that he had work on throughout the novel, Stemple blew it all up in a nihilistic slasher gore-fest. Suddenly, I understood the reviews that seemed to say great things about this book but gave it only two stars. Not sure what he was thinking, but his whiplash change from Leonard Cohen mellow dark to G.G. Allin shit show dark ruined what was a most promising novel.
That's when the book's end game struck me. With jarring abruptness, the novel turned from darkish to full blown horror show, the protagonist became unrecognizable, and in lieu of resolving the various chords that he had work on throughout the novel, Stemple blew it all up in a nihilistic slasher gore-fest. Suddenly, I understood the reviews that seemed to say great things about this book but gave it only two stars. Not sure what he was thinking, but his whiplash change from Leonard Cohen mellow dark to G.G. Allin shit show dark ruined what was a most promising novel.
September 8, 2008
There’s a lot to like about “Singer of Souls” by Adam Stemple. It’s a well-paced narrative with an engaging story. It has a likeable protagonist who is determined to do what it takes to overcome a heroin addiction. It’s an old-fashioned novel, told simply. The cover looks like something from the Fifties or Sixties. Yet, the problems and issues are very contemporary. I was really enjoying this book until the end.
I was ready to give this book 4 (actually 3.5) starts. However, the ending ruined the book for me. The formerly likeable protagonist became someone twisted and ugly inside. He threw away his humanity for vengeance. He discovered his power only to use it to become a mind-controlling, evil dictator. Within one chapter, he went from being a hero to being a villain. I really could have given this book a good rating if it hadn’t been for the ending.
I also have to say that I didn’t like that every character except Zack and Grandma McClaren turns out to be bad. Even when you think there’s hope for someone or when you think that someone who seems bad is really good inside or when someone seems nice, they are bad to the bone. This story takes such a dismal view of both humans and fae folk that it’s downright depressing.
I was ready to give this book 4 (actually 3.5) starts. However, the ending ruined the book for me. The formerly likeable protagonist became someone twisted and ugly inside. He threw away his humanity for vengeance. He discovered his power only to use it to become a mind-controlling, evil dictator. Within one chapter, he went from being a hero to being a villain. I really could have given this book a good rating if it hadn’t been for the ending.
I also have to say that I didn’t like that every character except Zack and Grandma McClaren turns out to be bad. Even when you think there’s hope for someone or when you think that someone who seems bad is really good inside or when someone seems nice, they are bad to the bone. This story takes such a dismal view of both humans and fae folk that it’s downright depressing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2008
This was an excellent book, up until the end. It seemed to me that the story got away from the author at this point, with ever darker and more heinous activities just exploding from the page willy-nilly. At this point, I was tempted to fling the book down and curse.
Possibly this was meant to be read as a metaphor for addiction, in which the metastized desires overwhelm and destroy the soul and body of the addict. Maybe not.
Possibly, if you are a horror fan, the ending would be more in keeping with certain expectations of that genre, but it didn't make sense to me. On the whole, if the book was heading in this direction, I would have expected more indications earlier in the book.
Possibly this was meant to be read as a metaphor for addiction, in which the metastized desires overwhelm and destroy the soul and body of the addict. Maybe not.
Possibly, if you are a horror fan, the ending would be more in keeping with certain expectations of that genre, but it didn't make sense to me. On the whole, if the book was heading in this direction, I would have expected more indications earlier in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2011
Funny how people would say this is a dark story, when I was enjoying myself reading the protagonist's life so much that I thought I could literally pluck him out of the book. Sure, there were nasty, gooey (?), strange character mix. But I'd say Adam Stemple did a great job on this one.
A REAL FUN READ!
A REAL FUN READ!
February 12, 2020
I absolutely devoured this book! As a musician and avid fantasy reader, this story pulled me in from the start. Not your average fantasy though. Pretty dark and foreboding. And the ending was something straight out of a horror story. Really looking forward to reading the next book!
March 19, 2009
I saw book 2 (Steward of Song) at the UBS. Lovely cover by Charles Vess. So I bought it. Got it home and went to read it. AAAA it's book 2! So, I had to order this one, book 1.
Found out that Adam Stemple is Jane Yolen's son. She's cool -- between her and Terri Windling I have LOTS of folklore and fairy articles.
Then I started to read the book. Excellent! It stayed excellent until about 10 pages from the end. then the main character literally became another person, one I didn't like. then the book Ended. I have a couple of books I MUST read before I pick up book 2 (Charles de Lint and Nina Kiriki Hoffman both have NEW!!! books!!!).
I'll let ya'll know what I think when I get to read book 2...
Found out that Adam Stemple is Jane Yolen's son. She's cool -- between her and Terri Windling I have LOTS of folklore and fairy articles.
Then I started to read the book. Excellent! It stayed excellent until about 10 pages from the end. then the main character literally became another person, one I didn't like. then the book Ended. I have a couple of books I MUST read before I pick up book 2 (Charles de Lint and Nina Kiriki Hoffman both have NEW!!! books!!!).
I'll let ya'll know what I think when I get to read book 2...
April 13, 2009
Okay, this is a really crazy concept and the ending devolves from mere urban fantasy to a bit of a slasher flick, but I still found this book wildly imaginative. Douglas is a drug-addicted twentysomething who goes to Scotland to stay with his grandmother and try to get clean. He joins up with the fringe festival in Edinburgh and after an encounter with a strange young woman named Aine, he ends up shooting up what he thinks is a drug, but it really is a white powder that allows him to see the faery world. Not many amazon reviewers liked the book, but if you like dark urban fantasy and you are willing to suspend your disbelief, you should find this intriguing.
August 23, 2008
This urban fantasy does not pull any punches. I am still recovering from some of the things in here. Douglas is a recovering drug addict who decides to stay with his grandmother in Scotland so that he can be as far away as possible from bad influences and to get clean. He raises funds by busking, and a lot of this book is about music. Meanwhile while he is in Scotland he suddenly gets the Sight and can see faeryfolk, which gets him into a lot of trouble, but he has some tricks up his sleeve as well. This book is really vivid and engrossing, but also rather dark. Characters in here and things that happened genuinely surprised me.
January 17, 2008
This book started out as a free spirited modern fantasy story about the redemption of Douglas, a down- and-out recovering addict who finds he has some unusual powers. It has some great characters and for the most part a fun and original story, but the ending is a series of cynical and pointlessly brutal forays into the drug culture. Adam Stemple has a good narrative style, and I hope he will continue to write in his cool blend of music and fantasy.
September 17, 2015
A short book built around a simple but compelling idea and powerfully crafted characters. Like all the most beautiful things, it's a bit dark - but not bleak. In a true rarity, the story follows through to a deeply satisfying ending. It's a very little-known book, but it's always been one of my favorites.
May 6, 2008
not sure why I like this series so much. The writing can be pretty cliched, but the emotional life of the characters always manages to skirt convention.
January 8, 2009
A cool walk into Faerie through the streets of Edinburgh. Interesting comparison of heroin and seeing the fairies, which are not cute, innocuous creatures. Creepy and compelling.
June 18, 2017
I'm addicted to stories where characters uncover secret powers, so this story was right up my alley. What really surprised me was that from the very beginning, the character development was so solid that I liked the character pre-powers much more than the person he became. However, the drastic character changes in the final act still fit with the narrative, which, at its core, is about survival at any cost.
While my addiction to certain story-telling tropes is fairly innocent, Douglas' heroin addiction is one of the most dangerous. When he quits at the very beginning of the story, he starts running, and this is what he does through most of the book. Douglas is constantly dodging bullets, or getting hit by them and barely surviving, only to traipse into another trap. The only reason he survives as long as he does is because he is useful to others more powerful than he is. But when he finds out that he has real power, he decides to use it against those that have subjected him. Unfortunately, part of the reason I identified so closely with Douglas was because of his constant struggle-- I wanted him to live, but his need for revenge twisted that. I started thinking that the story might have ended better if he had died after all.
The second act turning point in this story comes when Douglas discovers the body of his Grandma, the one person who cared for him. From here on, Douglas only seeks to destroy the people who killed her, and to never be at their mercy again. When it seems like Douglas will certainly be defeated by his numerous, powerful enemies (virtually every character in the story besides his Grandma hurts him somehow, then shows up near the end to try and finish him off), he uses the last of his strength to fling himself into the land of the Fey, where his powers basically render him invincible and able to bend all lives to his will. Strangely enough, after discovering the full extent of his power, one of the first lives he bends is his own, literally rewriting his character to be heartless. At once he cures himself of his addiction, but also turns himself into a villain, not unlike those who subjected him in the first place.
When you think of this story as a villain's origin story, it actually kicks a lot of ass. It just defies most of the expectations you have going into a story like this. Earlier on, when Douglas first uses his power to save Aine's life, he gets his first taste of being a hero, and he really enjoys it, but a running theme in the story is that no good deed goes unpunished. When he sticks his neck out for someone (a baby being snatched by Martes, his festival friend Sandra, Aine), it always comes back to bite him. He literally learns that he's better off using his powers for his own survival. And since his powers don't work as well in the real world (or at all against real people), he decides to rule the land of the Fey, where he has the best chance of survival.
This story was dark and violent, but that made all of the threats and potential dangers all the more real. At once we wanted Douglas to push through, but also feared what he became once he did. This story teaches us about how a person changes for the worse when they have been subjected to too much torment.
I would have given this book five stars, but the ending caught me so off guard, I found myself a little disturbed rather than pleased. I wanted to like Douglas, I wanted him to become a better person for all his hardship, but instead the opposite happened. In a way, his character development went backwards, leading him to a place much darker than where he started. He started off as a recovering addict and an asshole (his words), but he ended up a heartless despot, which didn't feel right at all.
My only other criticism of the book is its use of technical musical terminology, which seemed to take up a lot of space on the page when it appeared and had no real emotional impact on a musical layman like myself.
Overall, I really liked this book and will be giving the sequel a shot. Hopefully, the story ends better for Douglas's son, who I assume will be the main character in the sequel.
While my addiction to certain story-telling tropes is fairly innocent, Douglas' heroin addiction is one of the most dangerous. When he quits at the very beginning of the story, he starts running, and this is what he does through most of the book. Douglas is constantly dodging bullets, or getting hit by them and barely surviving, only to traipse into another trap. The only reason he survives as long as he does is because he is useful to others more powerful than he is. But when he finds out that he has real power, he decides to use it against those that have subjected him. Unfortunately, part of the reason I identified so closely with Douglas was because of his constant struggle-- I wanted him to live, but his need for revenge twisted that. I started thinking that the story might have ended better if he had died after all.
The second act turning point in this story comes when Douglas discovers the body of his Grandma, the one person who cared for him. From here on, Douglas only seeks to destroy the people who killed her, and to never be at their mercy again. When it seems like Douglas will certainly be defeated by his numerous, powerful enemies (virtually every character in the story besides his Grandma hurts him somehow, then shows up near the end to try and finish him off), he uses the last of his strength to fling himself into the land of the Fey, where his powers basically render him invincible and able to bend all lives to his will. Strangely enough, after discovering the full extent of his power, one of the first lives he bends is his own, literally rewriting his character to be heartless. At once he cures himself of his addiction, but also turns himself into a villain, not unlike those who subjected him in the first place.
When you think of this story as a villain's origin story, it actually kicks a lot of ass. It just defies most of the expectations you have going into a story like this. Earlier on, when Douglas first uses his power to save Aine's life, he gets his first taste of being a hero, and he really enjoys it, but a running theme in the story is that no good deed goes unpunished. When he sticks his neck out for someone (a baby being snatched by Martes, his festival friend Sandra, Aine), it always comes back to bite him. He literally learns that he's better off using his powers for his own survival. And since his powers don't work as well in the real world (or at all against real people), he decides to rule the land of the Fey, where he has the best chance of survival.
This story was dark and violent, but that made all of the threats and potential dangers all the more real. At once we wanted Douglas to push through, but also feared what he became once he did. This story teaches us about how a person changes for the worse when they have been subjected to too much torment.
I would have given this book five stars, but the ending caught me so off guard, I found myself a little disturbed rather than pleased. I wanted to like Douglas, I wanted him to become a better person for all his hardship, but instead the opposite happened. In a way, his character development went backwards, leading him to a place much darker than where he started. He started off as a recovering addict and an asshole (his words), but he ended up a heartless despot, which didn't feel right at all.
My only other criticism of the book is its use of technical musical terminology, which seemed to take up a lot of space on the page when it appeared and had no real emotional impact on a musical layman like myself.
Overall, I really liked this book and will be giving the sequel a shot. Hopefully, the story ends better for Douglas's son, who I assume will be the main character in the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2017
Like other reviewers, I did not expect the ending of this one at all. Unaware that this book has a sequel, I was kinda rushing the author along mentally because we only had a few pages left and the ending didn't seem any nearer, when suddenly everything changes and the book is over. Now, even knowing that there is a sequel, I wish the ending for this novel had been just a little bit better set up, instead of just jumping the reader with a complete disconnect and ending.
There are some weird turns of phrase (e.g. "I was making too damn much money"), but the chase/running away scene was really well done. The writing there felt speedy - like you, too, couldn't slow down and were part of the moment. Then of course are some of those unfortunately typical descriptions, where the author has the main character thought dump for a page or two about how awesome he is at playing a guitar and what a perfect voice he has, instead of just a couple of lines about it and/or leaving that description to be shown to us over the many, many busking scenes during the Fringe.
This is a super-quick read. I picked it up and finished it in 2.5 hours in the small hours of the morning when I needed to stay awake, and it was an ex-library copy from a used booksale, so I don't feel too cheated that this book basically quit instead of giving an ending that made sense or had any set up. Hopefully books he writes in the future will do a little better.
There are some weird turns of phrase (e.g. "I was making too damn much money"), but the chase/running away scene was really well done. The writing there felt speedy - like you, too, couldn't slow down and were part of the moment. Then of course are some of those unfortunately typical descriptions, where the author has the main character thought dump for a page or two about how awesome he is at playing a guitar and what a perfect voice he has, instead of just a couple of lines about it and/or leaving that description to be shown to us over the many, many busking scenes during the Fringe.
This is a super-quick read. I picked it up and finished it in 2.5 hours in the small hours of the morning when I needed to stay awake, and it was an ex-library copy from a used booksale, so I don't feel too cheated that this book basically quit instead of giving an ending that made sense or had any set up. Hopefully books he writes in the future will do a little better.
October 31, 2019
I am so mad at this book.
This is like someone attempting to do a crazy stunt and it looks like it's going to work before going to hell right at the end made manifest.
It began with a sympathetic character, a junkie trying to get clean and a talent for music. Slowly he gets involved in this interesting world of fey and faerie-folk unaware of the consequences of his decisions. He even begins making friends and relationships in the human world. It was an incredible interesting story.
But of course none of that matters in the end where it's all thrown away. It becomes this chauvinistic power fantasy that sickens me to my core. All the sympathy, all the motivation for him to become a better person is wiped clean. That person doesn't exist anymore. Why? I don't know. There's no full understandable reason in the story that explains it.
*Spoilers below, but I don't care I'm so mad*
The ending ignores the character's arc and development entirely. Throughout the story we see the main character being kind of an ass because he's looking out for himself, but under all of that he wants to make people happy. Of course that all gets thrown out when he discovers that he's the most powerful wizard of all time. Then he commits genocide wiping away an entire army on a whim, enslaves an entire world, rewrites a woman so that she's a mute, slave to him, and then rapes her until she becomes pregnant.
Do you see why I'm mad? It's stories like this that give fantasy a bad name. I'm told there's a sequel, but I can't bring myself to read it I dislike the ending to this so much.
This is like someone attempting to do a crazy stunt and it looks like it's going to work before going to hell right at the end made manifest.
It began with a sympathetic character, a junkie trying to get clean and a talent for music. Slowly he gets involved in this interesting world of fey and faerie-folk unaware of the consequences of his decisions. He even begins making friends and relationships in the human world. It was an incredible interesting story.
But of course none of that matters in the end where it's all thrown away. It becomes this chauvinistic power fantasy that sickens me to my core. All the sympathy, all the motivation for him to become a better person is wiped clean. That person doesn't exist anymore. Why? I don't know. There's no full understandable reason in the story that explains it.
*Spoilers below, but I don't care I'm so mad*
The ending ignores the character's arc and development entirely. Throughout the story we see the main character being kind of an ass because he's looking out for himself, but under all of that he wants to make people happy. Of course that all gets thrown out when he discovers that he's the most powerful wizard of all time. Then he commits genocide wiping away an entire army on a whim, enslaves an entire world, rewrites a woman so that she's a mute, slave to him, and then rapes her until she becomes pregnant.
Do you see why I'm mad? It's stories like this that give fantasy a bad name. I'm told there's a sequel, but I can't bring myself to read it I dislike the ending to this so much.
June 23, 2020
This book held my attention and imagination enough to earn 4 stars... up until the last. five. pages.
It was in those final five pages (don't worry, spoiler free) that I lost all sympathy and connection to the main character. They went from a person who wasn't good but trying to be better... making hard choices and going through harder life experiences... to someone that I didn't want to read about. I simply couldn't be bothered to care about what they did next, knowing the end of the book was so close and seeing no turn-around to their decisions.
There was also a fair amount of technical specifics about guitar chords and progressions that may be lost to the layman. As someone who plays myself I was able to follow along, but it occurred to me that the author might have benefited from explaining what the particular actions he was playing sounded LIKE to someone who didn't understand the difference of a chromatic from a Phrygian to a Lydian. You don't have to know the exact methodology of the paint strokes of a Van Gogh to express how it feels to view his art.
Unfortunately, the ending of the book left a bitter enough aftertaste that I won't be actively searching out the sequel. If I stumble across it, I might pick it up because of my completionist inclinations, but I won't be hunting it down and looking forwards to a third or fourth.
It was in those final five pages (don't worry, spoiler free) that I lost all sympathy and connection to the main character. They went from a person who wasn't good but trying to be better... making hard choices and going through harder life experiences... to someone that I didn't want to read about. I simply couldn't be bothered to care about what they did next, knowing the end of the book was so close and seeing no turn-around to their decisions.
There was also a fair amount of technical specifics about guitar chords and progressions that may be lost to the layman. As someone who plays myself I was able to follow along, but it occurred to me that the author might have benefited from explaining what the particular actions he was playing sounded LIKE to someone who didn't understand the difference of a chromatic from a Phrygian to a Lydian. You don't have to know the exact methodology of the paint strokes of a Van Gogh to express how it feels to view his art.
Unfortunately, the ending of the book left a bitter enough aftertaste that I won't be actively searching out the sequel. If I stumble across it, I might pick it up because of my completionist inclinations, but I won't be hunting it down and looking forwards to a third or fourth.
March 10, 2025
I originally read this book near the end of 2023, as it was suggested to me by a friend. I didn’t read the second book because I just wasn’t read. Now, here we are in 2025 and I have reread the book in preparation of finally diving into the second book. Honestly, there was nothing that could’ve prepared me for all of the happenings in this very short book. I see quite a few bad reviews that are due to the ending, but I personally have to give 5 starts BECAUSE of the ending. The author did an excellent job, in my opinion. Throughout the book, I respected the decision the MC made to give up a life of drugs. As the story goes on, he makes some questionable choices so then we fall into disappointment toward the MC, then we are brought to decisions made out of anger and grief, that ultimately bring us to the ending where you land on shock and horror. Anger. Confusion.
We can’t always have a happy ending with a happily ever after.
We can’t always have a happy ending with a happily ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2025
Enjoyed this book at the beginning. The story of a junkie trying to reclaim his life through music. Charles Vess did the cover, and he is one of my favorite artists. However, near the end, the main character undergoes a major personality change. The Grandmother's storyline, so important a character in the beginning, is abruptly finished, and I did not care for the way the book ended.
It felt to me as if two people were writing this story. Both with a different agenda.
It felt to me as if two people were writing this story. Both with a different agenda.
October 11, 2021
This book inspired my 3 teenage sons to become avid readers. Story length was right for them. The tone and gritty reality were something they all appreciated.
I did 6 years in prison after that, and started my own library of books that I lent to fellow inmates. This was the hands down #2 favorite. Name of the wind was #1.
I did 6 years in prison after that, and started my own library of books that I lent to fellow inmates. This was the hands down #2 favorite. Name of the wind was #1.
September 25, 2023
Two stars only because the first 3/4 of the book was entertaining and well written.
I was rooting for the main character and then the ending ruined it all. I understand that main characters don't necessarily have to be a hero figure but this was a total personality shift in literally the last chapter.
Also why did his grandma have to die 😭
I was rooting for the main character and then the ending ruined it all. I understand that main characters don't necessarily have to be a hero figure but this was a total personality shift in literally the last chapter.
Also why did his grandma have to die 😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2017
Good for 3/4 of the book, disappointed a bit in the ending.
March 14, 2020
I really liked this story. The characters were great too. It's shame the ending was a bit weak.
October 30, 2024
"and then he turned evil. the end."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2018
It's a pity that I have to give this novel only two stars. I was excited about reading it because it seemed like a novel I was certain to love-- a fantasy based in Celtic folklore and set in Scotland. Perhaps if I had expected less, and not raised my hopes, it wouldn't have felt quite so lackluster.
I don't believe anything could have saved this novel from receiving a fairly low rating from me, however... The ending ensured that.
Perhaps that's what saddened me most. Ninety percent of the book is enjoyable- a dark, adventurous and engrossing work of urban fantasy based on faerie lore- but, unfortunately, it falls flat at the very last. Like Ian MacEwan's Atonement, Singer of Souls builds an interesting story, causes readers to become invested in the characters, and then suddenly runs head-long into a lame ending. It almost seems as if Adam Stemple ran out of time, and hurriedly jerked together the loose ends of his tale before slapping on a quick and very disappointing conclusion. Even the protagonist suddenly changes from a likable, free-spirited musician to a cold-hearted menace. The entire ending felt rather like falling off a cliff.
Nonetheless, if you're a fan of mythic fiction and urban fantasy, and you want to read this novel, I won't tell you not to. (Indeed, much of it was at least entertaining.) However, don't expect too much from the end... and, if you want my advice, don't spend money on it. I recommend that you check this book out from the local library rather than buying it.
I don't believe anything could have saved this novel from receiving a fairly low rating from me, however... The ending ensured that.
Perhaps that's what saddened me most. Ninety percent of the book is enjoyable- a dark, adventurous and engrossing work of urban fantasy based on faerie lore- but, unfortunately, it falls flat at the very last. Like Ian MacEwan's Atonement, Singer of Souls builds an interesting story, causes readers to become invested in the characters, and then suddenly runs head-long into a lame ending. It almost seems as if Adam Stemple ran out of time, and hurriedly jerked together the loose ends of his tale before slapping on a quick and very disappointing conclusion. Even the protagonist suddenly changes from a likable, free-spirited musician to a cold-hearted menace. The entire ending felt rather like falling off a cliff.
Nonetheless, if you're a fan of mythic fiction and urban fantasy, and you want to read this novel, I won't tell you not to. (Indeed, much of it was at least entertaining.) However, don't expect too much from the end... and, if you want my advice, don't spend money on it. I recommend that you check this book out from the local library rather than buying it.
September 8, 2010
SLJ Reviews 2005 October
Website: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com
Adult/High School -Douglas Stewart, 22, has two obsessions: guitar-playing and heroin. He has recently broken the hold the narcotic has on him but realizes that he needs to get far away from his old life in Minneapolis if he has any hope of staying clean. He flies to Edinburgh and the sanctuary that his grandmother offers. Finding that busking is a viable profession there, he uses his gift for on-the-spot composing to establish a comfortable income among tourists. But an encounter with a mysterious young woman leaves him with a vial of white powder that he can not resist. Injecting the substance does not give him the expected high; rather, it opens his eyes to the vast populations of fey folk on the streets of the city. Suddenly, he is caught up in a battle between two factions of magical creatures that have been warring for countless generations. Add to the mix a sadistic priest devoted to eradicating all such beings and the fact that Douglas's talent gives him a power in the netherworld that he barely understands and the ingredients for a highly original adventure are in place. Faintly reminiscent of Ash in the cult film Army of Darkness , Douglas is an antihero whose tragic flaws make readers root for him that much harder. Stemple blends the majesty and brutality of the faery world with the grit and pulse of contemporary society. He writes with an assurance that belies the fact that this is his first adult novel and shows himself to be a voice to be reckoned with-and much anticipated.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA
Website: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com
Adult/High School -Douglas Stewart, 22, has two obsessions: guitar-playing and heroin. He has recently broken the hold the narcotic has on him but realizes that he needs to get far away from his old life in Minneapolis if he has any hope of staying clean. He flies to Edinburgh and the sanctuary that his grandmother offers. Finding that busking is a viable profession there, he uses his gift for on-the-spot composing to establish a comfortable income among tourists. But an encounter with a mysterious young woman leaves him with a vial of white powder that he can not resist. Injecting the substance does not give him the expected high; rather, it opens his eyes to the vast populations of fey folk on the streets of the city. Suddenly, he is caught up in a battle between two factions of magical creatures that have been warring for countless generations. Add to the mix a sadistic priest devoted to eradicating all such beings and the fact that Douglas's talent gives him a power in the netherworld that he barely understands and the ingredients for a highly original adventure are in place. Faintly reminiscent of Ash in the cult film Army of Darkness , Douglas is an antihero whose tragic flaws make readers root for him that much harder. Stemple blends the majesty and brutality of the faery world with the grit and pulse of contemporary society. He writes with an assurance that belies the fact that this is his first adult novel and shows himself to be a voice to be reckoned with-and much anticipated.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA
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